How many ex-Christians are there here on CF and reason for leaving Christianity?

Did you leave Christianity? And did you return?


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LittleLambofJesus

Hebrews 2:14.... Pesky Devil, git!
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Are there any members here who used to be Christians but became non-Christian?
If so, what was the major reason. How long were you a Christian before that? If you are an ex-Christian, have you ever thought about becoming a Christian again?
I put a poll thread up and if you feel I need to add more options, please inform me.

Christianity | Description, History, Doctrines, & Traditions

The church and its history
The essence and identity of Christianity

At its most basic, Christianity is the faith tradition that focuses on the figure of Jesus Christ. In this context, faith refers both to the believers’ act of trust and to the content of their faith. As a tradition, Christianity is more than a system of religious belief. It also has generated a culture, a set of ideas and ways of life, practices, and artifacts that have been handed down from generation to generation since Jesus first became the object of faith. Christianity is thus both a living tradition of faith and the culture that the faith leaves behind. The agent of Christianity is the church, the community of people who make up the body of believers.

To say that Christianity “focuses” on Jesus Christ is to say that somehow it brings together its beliefs and practices and other traditions in reference to a historical figure. Few Christians, however, would be content to keep this reference merely historical. Although their faith tradition is historical—i.e., they believe that transactions with the divine do not occur in the realm of timeless ideas but among ordinary humans through the ages—the vast majority of Christians focus their faith in Jesus Christ as someone who is also a present reality. They may include many other references in their tradition and thus may speak of “God” and “human nature” or of the “church” and the “world,” but they would not be called Christian if they did not bring their attentions first and last to Jesus Christ.
 

eleos1954

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It's not so much that I'm an ex-Christian. I'm actually a misotheist now. And I don't see myself ever changing and going back to God.

Isn't a misotheist one who despises God or religion in general?
 
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eleos1954

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Yes. And I don't despise religion, but I DO despise God.

hmmmm ... sorry to hear that ...

I'll bet that makes your prayer life real complicated.
 
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Kenny'sID

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eleos1954

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I very rarely pray anymore. I might pray for a family member or something on the rare occasion, but that's it.

I pray you will return to the Lord.
 
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Kenny'sID

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Well, in my case, I prefer to leave that part out. Some things I'd rather not share.

Yeah, absolutely your choice, just interesting how many evidently feel the same...no judgment from me.
 
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cloudyday2

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I was a Christian from birth until about age 20 when I lost most of my faith, but I continued to have a tiny hope/fear that Christianity might be true for another 25 years? ... So 20 years and then another 25 years as a 90% ex-Christian and finally about 5 years as a more convinced ex-Christian

I often wish I could be a Christian again. I suspect there is a God that I have experienced at times, and he seemed happy to communicate through Christian symbols. So apparently God thinks Christianity is a fine religion. Unfortunately I no longer can use Christianity to pursue God, because I don't believe it. ... But Christianity was second nature to me. It is a shame to have lost a religion that worked for me simply because I read one too many Bart Ehrman books LOL
 
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JIMINZ

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I very rarely pray anymore. I might pray for a family member or something on the rare occasion, but that's it.

Upon that rare occasion, who do you actually Pray to, if you despise God?
 
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Rajni

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I no longer consider myself Christian.

It was very gradual. I can't really pinpoint a single
reason other than that, having learned what I have up to
this point, I can't genuinely apply the label to myself.

Oddly enough, however, what the bible calls "the fruit
of the Spirit" has grown significantly within me. And
perfect love really does cast out fear.

And there you have it. :blush:

-
 
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Zoness

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Are there any members here who used to be Christians but became non-Christian?
If so, what was the major reason. How long were you a Christian before that? If you are an ex-Christian, have you ever thought about becoming a Christian again?
I put a poll thread up and if you feel I need to add more options, please inform me.

I was christian for the first sixteen years of my life and about two years on this site. I think I was fully deconverted around age eighteen. Honestly, I don't think I super believed when I was young I always had a skeptical mind. I just played along because family told me "good people go to church that's just what you do" okay sure that's fine.

I got real into Christianity for a bit and undertook reading the Bible in full for myself. Not long into that I figured pretty quickly I didn't believe anything it was saying and bam, that was that.

Then I had a very long journey through other spiritualities for a very long time before ending up where I am now. That was about ten years ago. I mostly stayed on the forum because I liked a few people here but honestly it bores me to death nowadays except for the very tiny number of places I'm allowed to chime in, I basically can't use the site anymore.
 
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Arthra

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I was raised in a Baptist home and began studying religions in my early teens. I recall sharing a few verses from the Bhagavad Gita about devotion to God (Bhakti) at a devotional at the church and everyone love it! I began reading some of the poetic translations of Sir Edwin Arnold and enjoyed them. I began to feel I couldn't be associated with a church or religious org. that rejected one or the other of the great Prophets and Messengers of God such as Krishna, Buddha or Jesus Christ.
I was around twenty five years old when I discovered two Baha'i books in the local library... Baha'i World Faith and Baha'u'llah and the New Era. (Both books are online.) After reading them I knew I would have declare my faith in Baha'u'llah as the Manifestation of God for this age.
 
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MehGuy

A member of the less neotenous sex..
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As for why I became a non-Christian.. growing up really.

I think my attraction to being hated by non-Christians is what really tipped things. Back in the day I used to join atheists sites as a theist just to see how much bashing and hatred I could generate towards myself, lol. There is only so much skepticism and whatnot a believer can be exposed to until they have second thoughts about their faith..

Honestly back in my Christian days I'd probably seem like the last person to ever become an atheist.

As for being a Christian again, anything is possible. Although I highly doubt it, I'm quite grounded and comfortable with my non-belief. Doesn't mean I don't miss spirituality. My mind is well suited to it, and atheism has deteriorated my mental well being to quite an extent.. but it is what it is.
 
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